MENTOR PROFILE

 

Tony Ndifor, PhD 
Director, J&JPRD
Johnson & Johnson

 

When did you first realize you wanted to go into science? Were you a child, adolescent, young adult?

I never realized I wanted to become a scientist until 10th grade! I was a great student in the non-numerical (arts) subjects and hated math. Having math teachers who always favored the good math students did not help at all.  After my GCE “O’ Level exams (a 10th grade nationwide exam that students in Cameroon needed to pass before gaining admission into High School), my elder sister who was a nurse, and who was paying my tuition through school (my parents couldn’t afford it), strongly recommended (read:  “coerced me!”) to focus on the sciences in high school.  There began my journey into science, and I have never regretted my sister’s choice and wisdom.

 

What was the MOST effective attribute/characteristic of your FAVORITE career mentor, and how did that help you?

Providing me access to their network, and being candid in their feedback even when it was not always comforting or pleasant.

 

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Nkwen, a town in the North West Anglophone province of Cameroon, West Africa. Like all the kids, I grew up as a ‘free range’ kid, raised not just by my immediate family, but by the entire village. Cameroon is a beautiful country (where all the men are handsome and all the women are very beautiful!)  It is the only country in Africa that spans into the desert, the rainforest, the ocean and the savanna. 

 

Where did you receive your formal educational training?

I completed my primary and secondary education (up to 12th grade) in Cameroon at Sacred Heart College in Mankon, Cameroon.  Upon completion of that part of my education, I moved to England for university education: BS/MS/PhD.

 

Who do you most admire, and why? (It can be a living or deceased person – someone famous or whom you know personally and does not have to be a scientist)

It would have to be Brother Norbert, who was a Scottish Marist Brother and Vice Principal of Sacred Heart College.  Bro Norbert remains the most dedicated, passionate, driven, impartial individual that made an early impression on me as a teenager. He stood out as someone who was always fair, not letting his emotions cloud his judgment, insisting on personal responsibility, and ensuring an education of the mind, body and spirit.  For example, he must have been in his late 40s or early 50s when I was at the college but would join the 11-18yr olds on the soccer field.  He insisted on being considered just another player, and not the vice principal.  If you played rough with him, you need not worry about being placed on detention after the game. He would find a way of paying you back on the field!  When I came into 11th grade, he knew I was a hopeless math student but never made me feel less valued in his math class.  I remember on the very first test he gave to us, I scored miserably.  He called me aside and said: “Sonny- you got to have to try harder if you are going to make it out of here- you know you can do better”. And I did make it out of 12th grade- doing very well. Brother Norbert is now retired in Scotland, but made an indelible impression on many of us who went through Sacred Heart College. 

Once you retire professionally, what would be the ONE thing you want people to most remember about you?

That I served as a type of bridge for people as I reached out to help lift them to a better place.